Italian Cultural Spending Rose 4% in 2015, Federculture Report Reveals

The 12th edition of the Federculture annual report 'Impresa e Cultura' was presented at the MAXXI Museum auditorium in Rome, published by Gangemi with 40 contributions. The report, introduced by president Andrea Cancellato and director Claudio Bocci, highlights a 4% increase in Italian household cultural spending in 2015, reaching €67.8 billion. Over the biennium 2014-2015, spending rose 6% compared to 2011-2013, with an additional €4 billion. Spending on cultural services grew 5.5%, while book sales stagnated at +0.6% in 2015. Museum attendance increased 7% (2.2 million more tickets), theater visits rose 4% (400,000 more), and concert attendance grew 6% (1 million more). Over two years, theater and cinema audiences rose 8%, museum visitors 18%, and concert attendance 11%. Only 18.5% of Italians reported no cultural consumption in 2015, down from 19.3% in 2014. ISTAT data confirms a decline in reading: 42% of Italians read a book in the past year, versus 46% in 2010. Regional disparities persist: Trentino Alto Adige leads with over €203 per capita monthly cultural spending, while Calabria and Basilicata spend under €59. The report also praised Minister of Cultural Heritage Dario Franceschini for reforms including the Art Bonus. Speakers included Ermete Realacci (Fondazione Symbola), Gianni Torrenti (Friuli Venezia Giulia regional assessor for culture), and Franco Bernabè (president of the Quadriennale), who emphasized participation and risk as cultural resources.